The Lion's Purpose

by Billie Willow

  Over the next few minutes, the pain in her middle began to subside. The throbbing eased and she heard the roaring and clashing of what sounded like lions in the background. She tried to move, tried to look around but was met with only darkness. Slowly, like the fog was being lifted from her mind, she began to make out something blurry in front of her and as it came into focus more, she recognised it to be a cat’s face, a large cat, no, a panther. It was her panther.

  The panther was looking directly at her with feline golden yellow eyes and black dilated pupils. She had her lips pulled back and was hissing, her long canines dripped with saliva as the sudden urge to fight came over Lara. Just like when she was stuck inside the panther for those two months, it was as if the animal was trying to communicate with her through emotions. Her panther was trying to tell her something, trying to show her something. The urge to fight was strong now and Lara realised it was coming from the animal instinct inside of her. Suddenly Lara was met with the need to protect…but Protect who? It felt like all those times back in her parent’s house when she’d walked into a room to get something but forgotten what it was as soon as she got there. This felt eerily similar. It was as if she felt a strong need to be somewhere, to do something but she had no recollection of what, or in this case, had no way of knowing what it was she was meant to be doing.

  No one had ever told her about the panther, how to communicate, control it, or even how to shift. She was as blind in the shifter world as she was right now in the darkness of her mind. A rush of frustration ran through her as the panther was now getting impatient, she could see it pacing petulantly and twitching its tail. What do you want me to do?

  The panther pulled its lips back once more to let out a fierce hiss before it pounced. Lara’s mind went completely black for a moment as the excruciating pain in her stomach disappeared completely, only to be replaced with the agony of what felt like every bone in her body breaking. She felt her back curve and snap, she heard the sound of popping and felt more pain as she opened her eyes in time to see her arms and legs become feline limbs. She felt her face distort to a muzzle and when she looked down, her hands became paws with sharp claws that dug into the ground below her. It felt as if she was stuck in a nightmare that she couldn’t wake up from. She was no longer in control of her mind and body as her animal took over.

  Suddenly, movement caught her eye and she lifted her head, looking up to see Seb standing naked with his hands up as if he was trying to calm the animal in front of him. He was standing next to the woman with the light hair that Lara had recognised from the prison. She had a similar type of reaction to Seb and had her palms up like she was surrendering.

  Lara instinctively looked past Seb and into the darkness of the night where her shifter senses allowed her to have perfect night vision and what she saw made her panther hiss as rage took over her mind, clouding her vision.

  She saw Archer’s naked body reflected in the dim street light walking towards them, his eyes down at the ground but it was what was behind him that made Lara’s animal tear through the carpark at a speed faster than she ever thought possible. She kept her sight on the man behind Archer. He was reaching for something on the floor, something shiny and metallic. Thanks to Lara’s shifter senses, she knew exactly what he was reaching for. Lara sped to the end of the carpark and reached the clearing just as the man loaded the gun. She brushed passed Archer as he was turning to see what was happening behind him. She leaped into the air, her claws outstretched and her jaw open, ready to attack this man for what he intended to do.

  The man hadn’t seen Lara coming. His gaze had been fixed purely on Archer so when she slammed into him, he dropped the gun where he stood and fell back, hard, under her weight. She lifted her lips to show her canines and hissed before she opened her jaws and without a second thought, tore his throat from his body.

  Lara ‘s panther sat back on her hind legs before allowing the human inside to come forward. After the popping sound of bones snapping and bending into place filled the air, Lara found herself in human form once again. She looked down to see her naked body, she tried to cover herself up with her hands but stopped when she saw them covered in blood. She looked up to see Archer watching her with wide eyes and just beside him lay the body of a man, blood pooled around his throat as if he’d been ripped apart. It was then that she realised she could taste blood, she lifted her hands to her mouth and her fingers were met with more of the thick red liquid that was still warm on her lips. A shudder reverberated through her body as the reality of what had just happened began to sink in.

  “What have I done?” She said shakily as she looked from the body back to Archer and then back to her blood-stained hands.

  The familiar feeling of a panic attack was quickly building inside of her. The pain from her stomach had intensified from the dull ache it had been and she started shaking violently. Cold numbness started running through her as she replayed the image of the body over and over in her mind before darkness started closing in just before she collapsed.

  Chapter 17

  Archer knew Lara was about to pass out. He could tell by the way her body was shaking and her eyes rolled back in her head as he rushed to her side and caught her just before her head hit the ground. He cradled her in his lap for a moment as he took in his surroundings and what had just happened.

  Lara had killed his father. His father, who was going to kill him if she hadn’t stepped in. Lara had saved his life. She had avenged the death of her parents, and she didn’t even know it. He should be upset at losing his father, he should be mourning but he couldn’t bring himself to feel anything other than relief. It was as if the memory of his father had haunted him for all these years, taunting him every time his life came to a cross road to see if he would take the same path, to see if he would follow in his father’s footsteps. Seeing him dead, his body going cold in front of him, knowing that he had no problem aiming a gun at his own son, it was closure. It was the reality check that Archer didn’t even realise he needed. The reminder that no matter what path he took in his life, he could never, would never, end up like his Dad.

  Archer recalled the last few minutes, everything had happened so fast that he didn’t have time to process what was going on. He had looked up to see a black panther running in his direction before he heard the loading of a gun behind him. He had witnessed the panther’s gruesome attack that ultimately left his father lifeless on the ground and then the realisation hit him…this panther had saved his life.

  He didn’t know until she shifted back, that the black panther was Lara. Lara had saved his life. He knew his father was a selfish monster but the fact that the man was only seconds away from killing his own son made Archer furious to think he felt hurt when Dr Seville made him think he was dead.

  But how did Lara get to him so fast? Archer thought. Lara had managed to shift, even with her limited knowledge as a newly turned shifter, she’d found a way to save him. She had taken the mark against her soul since he didn’t have the guts to. If only he had ended it with his father when he had the chance then she never would have been faced with this, but now as he looked down at Lara, collapsed in his arms, he realised how much she had done for him.

  Archer had seen the horror in Lara’s eyes when she’d shifted back to her human form and took in the scene in front of her. He had seen the moment she realised the dead man’s blood was on her hands and the moment her innocence had been ripped away. Archer needed to tell her who this man was, he needed to explain that she should never regret what she did, that he deserved the ending he received but she had passed out before he got the chance to say anything.

  Lara’s dark hair was hanging over Archer’s arm as he held her up around her shoulder, his other arm holding up the back of her neck. He moved his hand from her neck to under her knees so he could lift her up properly. He kept his gaze forward, it took every effort not to rake his eyes over her naked body, but he would never do that without her permission. Archer spotted Seb
and Jen as they stood next to one of the few cars left in the carpark. It was the black Range Rover and they were rummaging through some boxes that were in the back of the car. Archer took a step towards them with Lara in his arms, but he hesitated for a moment and looked over his shoulder to his father’s body. This would be the last time he would see him. This was his closure. He memorised the image of the gore in front of him to serve as a reminder that, for the rest of his life, he would do everything in his power to ensure he never ended up like his father.

  It turns out the woman in the white coat who owned the range rover conveniently had a change of clothes for both males and females in the back of her car. Seb was already dressed when Archer approached, he wore jeans that hung loose and a t-shirt that looked too sizes too big for him. He was holding more clothes and Jen came around the side of the car also carrying some clothes.

  “Jen managed to find the car key on the ground right after you went animalistic and shredded all your clothes” Seb deadpanned “but we got lucky, it looks like Miss Range Rover may have a boyfriend who likes to carry some spare clothing around. These should fit you and Jen has some clothes for Lara” Seb said, handing over the clothes as Archer placed Lara on the backseat for Jen to dress her.

  Once they were dressed, they all climbed into the car. Archer was in the driver’s seat as he looked in the rear-view mirror to see Lara still asleep, her head resting on Jen’s lap and Seb in the passenger seat. Archer pressed the keyless start button on the car as the engine came to life, there was a large screen on the front console that lit up with a navigation system. After pressing a few buttons, Archer realised the facility was located only a few hours away from his home.

  “Where do you guys live? Where should I take you?” Archer asked the others as he looked from Seb to Jen in the rear-view mirror. Jen shook her head and shrugged, while Seb said “Anywhere the wind takes me” with a smile. Archer sighed, he didn’t have the energy to deal with this right now, but he needed to get them all out of the area as soon as possible, so it looked like they were coming home with him…temporarily, that is. “You can stay with me until you work out your next move, I’ve got spare rooms” Archer said casually.

  Archer wasn’t good with company, hell, he’d never actually had company in his home before, but he didn’t really see any other option here. A few years ago, he had finally saved up enough money to buy the largest piece of land he could afford. His lion needed the space to shift and roam and he didn’t care that the house was listed as ‘run down’ on the ad, which is probably why they dropped the price so low. As it turned out this house was not only run down, but it was huge. Massive. It was more like a mansion but to Archer it just felt empty and lonely.

  Archer drove out of the carpark and Seb began whistling his rendition of ‘The Lion Sleeps Tonight’. It would have been funny if Seb wasn’t whistling about his dad, but Archer could forgive him since he had no idea who that man was, and Archer wasn’t about to enlighten him. The events of the last few days seemed to be playing on everyone’s mind as they sat in silence in the car, even Seb had stopped whistling and sat quietly looking out the window. Archer looked in the rear-view mirror to see Lara’s face, still peacefully asleep on Jen’s lap. He breathed a long sigh and turned onto the highway.

  Chapter 18

  It was a long and quiet two-hour drive to the town where he lived. He pulled into the carpark of the fight club and parked.

  “I think we should change cars just in case they track this one down, that’s mine there” he pointed to the large silver Jeep parked a few cars away “I have a spare set of keys inside the club, I’ll go in, grab them and be right back”. He rushed inside and came back out carrying a set of car keys. Archer carefully took Lara out of the Rover and placed her in the backseat of his jeep, she was still unconscious but after everything she had been through the last few days, he knew she needed the rest. Jen climbed in next to her as they all took their seats again before pulling back out to the main street.

  After ten more minutes, they arrived at Archer’s place. He pulled in to the driveway where he pressed a button on the remote control from his console as the gate to his property slowly opened. Home sweet Home. The house was run down, it needed constant repairs and maintenance, but it was home. It had all the space his lion needed with forest surrounding the property, it even had a large shed at the back where Archer enjoyed tinkering with cars in his spare time. It had everything he needed, everything but someone to share it with. Archer looked back in the rear-view mirror and looked at Lara’s face again, she was stirring now, and for a split second he entertained the thought that she might be the one to share his home with him.

  A loud whistle brought his thoughts back to the present as he looked over at Seb who was currently stretching his neck against the window to get a better view of the large house they were pulling up to. Archer followed Seb’s gaze and thought about what it must look like to someone who hadn’t seen this place before. The front still needed work, the cracked walls and the overgrown weeds that reached the front porch made the place look more decrepit than it actually was. When you looked past that though, you could see the beauty in the old Victorian building. It was double story and had a porch on the ground floor that surrounded the entire house. The large entrance door stood proudly against the dark wood of the façade and the number of windows on the top floor showed off the many rooms. “Well, this is it” Archer said on a sigh as he glanced a look at Seb who was still looking out the window. Archer turned in his seat expecting to see Lara still sleeping on Jen’s lap, but he was met with four pairs of wide eyes looking past him through the front windscreen at his house.

  “Where are we?” Lara said as she rubbed her eyes. The others were getting out of the car now and the sound of the doors closing meant it was just Archer and Lara alone. Their eyes met as he replied “This is my place. I’ve got rooms to spare and the others didn’t seem to have anywhere else to go. You’re welcome to stay here for as long as you like, but if you’d rather go somewhere else, I can drop you wherever you need to go tomorrow morning”. Archer swallowed hard and looked back at his hand that was currently hanging over the steering wheel. He didn’t want Lara to see the hurt on his face if she agreed to leave. His lion let out a roar of anger at the mere suggestion of driving her away from his home. The thought of being away from her felt like a knife through his chest, he felt like they were meant to be in each other’s lives and if tomorrow morning he’d have to drive her away from here, then he knew a part of him would stay behind with her. He couldn’t deny the deep connection he felt towards her and he didn’t understand where all these emotions had come from, but he couldn’t help wondering if she felt the same way too. After all, she’d felt strongly enough about him to shift into her panther form and save his life. What if they were fated mates after all? What if Seb was right? He had overheard the guys at the fight club talking about mates and how fast they bonded to each other. He never believed in the fantasy of it all and he didn’t believe it could ever happen to him, but he felt so strongly towards Lara that it had to mean something. Hell, even his Lion felt a connection to Lara and that was saying something. She had to be his mate.

  “I…I’ll see how I feel in the morning” Lara’s soft voice shook him from his thoughts as he turned to meet her eyes. He tried to hide the disappointment that he hoped wasn’t being advertised on his face right now, if she really was his mate, wouldn’t she want to stay with him? Well, I guess it wasn’t a no, but it wasn’t a yes either, he thought as he smiled at her before stepping out of the car.

  Seb and Jen were already almost at the house as Archer opened the back door to help Lara out. “Thanks” she smiled up at him and stepped out, her smile reached her eyes and she beamed, Archer had never seen any woman look so naturally perfect. He let her walk ahead of him, he was trying to be a gentleman, but just like any other male would do in his position, he took the opportunity to check out her backside as she walked away.


  “Fuck” he said out loud without meaning to before turning around and adjusting the crotch of his jeans where his growing erection was starting to make the material impossibly tight.

  “You coming?” He heard Lara yell out from behind him

  “Ha! That’s what she said!” Seb sung out from the steps of the porch as Archer shook his head and huffed out a laugh. This time last week, he was finishing up at work before another fight at the club, he would be taking his winnings home to his empty house and watch some trash TV before passing out on the couch. Now, here he was, about to open his home to an ex shifter who barely spoke, a wolf that was so annoying that he’d probably regret making the offer for him to stay thirty seconds after closing his front door, and a gorgeous, brave black panther, who may or may not be his mate.

  Chapter 19

  As Lara walked into Archer’s home, she was shocked to find he was not the controlled, presentable and tidy person that she thought he was, and she was all the more intrigued for it.

  She stifled a giggle as she stood by the front door with the others, watching him rush around the open plan living area and kitchen, picking up empty dishes and discarded clothes as he went. Lara bit her bottom lip, holding back a smile as he looked flustered and embarrassed rushing around in an attempt to clean up. It was cute. He was cute. She dropped her smile when he went to pick something up off the floor as his large biceps flexed. She couldn’t even say what it was he picked up since she was so hypnotised by his body. He hadn’t changed out of the clothes that Seb had found and since they were too small for him, when he leaned over, his t-shirt stretched tightly over his back, showing his powerful muscles and when he leaned further, his shirt rode up slightly showing off his impressive hips.